Since most of you have already decided that intuitives are the most eccentric types (which I call intuitive narcissism), I call your attention to this video recommended by meanlittlechimp.

I don't think we should be asking which types are the most eccentric, perhaps asking in what ways are different types eccentric. I also thing it's interesting the most people in this thread automatically zoomed in on the fact that some of the participants in this video are ISJs. There's no denying the bizarreness of the behavior.

What are the different ways sensors/intuitives manifest eccentricity?

Relationships have normal ebbs and flows. They do not automatically get better and better when the participants learn more and more about each other. Instead, the participants have to work through the tensions of the relationship (the dialectic) while they learn and group themselves and a parties in a relationships. At times the relationships is very open and sharing. Other time, one or both parties to the relationship need their space, or have other concerns, and the relationship is less open. The theory posits that these cycles occur throughout the life of the relationship as the persons try to balance their needs for privacy and open relationship.Interpersonal Communication Theories and ConceptsSocial Penetration Theory 1Social Penetration Theory 2Social Penetration Theory 3

Since most of you have already decided that intuitives are the most eccentric types (which I call intuitive narcissism)

proteanmix, you know I'm on your team when it comes to countering S/N bias, but don't you find considerable overlap in the definition of eccentricity and the descriptions of Ni and Ne? I'm inclined to think some measure of eccentricity goes with the territory for Ns while developing decidedly odd behavior takes more for an S and especially an SJ (such as the cognitive dissonance I hypothesize in the thread about the RealDoll owners).

Regarding the most eccentric type, I'll put my money on INTJ (yes, my own type - sorry about that, proteanmix). It's the type that combines relative independence of other people (I), self-contained certitude (NJ) and the don't-give-a-damn factor (T).

And yes, my personal experience confirms this. In spite of my monochromatic wardrobe I was considered a very colorful character at my dorm. My (just as socially active) INTJ friends have been accused of strangeness as well*, whereas the ENTPs I know I would characterize as awe-inspiring, not eccentric. Sorry ENTPs, but Ni is just weirder than Ne.

... Of course, maybe our eccentricity would be less obvious if we were more antisocial. Hence my final answer is that the most eccentric type is a sociable INTJ.

Splittet stole my answer. I'd say the ENxP's and INxJ's are the most "out there" and eccentric. ENxP's may even appear more eccentric because they wear their iNtuition on their sleeve, so to speak. INxJ's are at least as eccentric though (possibly even more eccentric), but it's less obvious since it's introverted.

INJs and ENPs are most intuitive, however they are not the best at using their Intuitions. INPs are the best at using their Intuitions because they are most judicious about their intuitions. (Introverted Judgment is the strongest form of judgment.) You do not need as much Intuitive power as INJs and ENPs have in order to apply your intuitions well, you need much less. INPs have just enough.

INPs are most eccentric because they are most determined to live their lives based on their inner standards (Introverted Judgment). Whilst, the INJs do create their internal vision to live by, that is indeed highly esoteric, however they do subjugate it to an external standard. (Extroverted Judgment) INJs mostly measure their success by 'aha' moments which are founded on internal criteria (introverted intuition), however, their only solid way to measure success would be by an external standard. Thus, this ties them to the convention. ENPs , as dominant Intuitors too measure their success by an external standard, but it is tied to the external world because their visions orient more around the external world rather than the inner world. Their Introverted Judgment is not strong enough to be the primary standard of self-assessment.

However, INPs go primarily by the Internal standard, something the ENPs cannot do. They are tied to the convention due to their external intuitions in the same fashion as ENPs are, but the tie is much weaker because the Extroverted Intuition is less significant.

Eccentricity is most closely associated with one's ability to apply intuitions. INPs are the most proficient at this because they are the best at assessing, it as they have the firmest control over their Intuitions. (The question here is, what good is having as much Intuition as INJs and ENPs do if you cannot make sense of them and thus cannot put your intuitions to good use?) INJs are better than ENPs at using their Intuition because their Intuition is stronger due to the factor of introversion. ENPs have stronger judgment than INJs(also due to the introversion factor), though this factor is to be thought less significant than the former because here we are comparing secondary faculties as opposed to primary.

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Thinkers tend to be more eccentric than Feelers because they rely less on their external environment due to their higher propensity towards autonomy.

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"Do not argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." -- Mark Twain

No, seriously, I don't see how any other type, except maybe INTP, could possibly be as overall "out there" as ENTPs. ENTPs are the ones that do the crazy crap that INTPs think up... in fact, ENTPs are so optimistic about what they can do that they give me the creeps.

Eccentricity is highly correlated with Intuition. ENTPs only seem more eccentric than all types because they have an easier time showing their Intuition, and not because they are most intuitive. Though eccentricity is most closely associated with not just being Intuitive, but rather with one's ability to process intuition with judgment. For this, among many other reasons, INPs tend to be the most eccentric due to their ability to process/analyze (Ti/Fi) nearly all of their Intuitions. ENJs can make a similar claim, however, INPs have more access to their intuition due to the introversion factor. Moreover, INPs tend to be more eccentric than ENJs because Introversion by its nature draws one towards eccentricity more than Extroversion-as we notice ENJs tend to assess the circumstances based on external standards (conventional) and INPs based on internal-standards, unconventional. Unconventional is as close to synonymous with eccentric as it gets.(See the above post for further ramifications of this claim)

"Do not argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." -- Mark Twain

Firstly, I didn't realise it was a competition, and secondly I'd never boast of being eccentric - it's a trait generally seen as negative by most people, in my experience, and it's rarely meant as a compliment.

I agree with Econimica that Ni is 'wierder' than Ne, in that the INxJ's I've known - especially the F's - have often had me scowling and shaking my head with incomprehension at the way they seem to see the world, the crazy ways they make decisions and judgements and stuff, their odd little paranoias etc. I think that Ne tends to at least have itself grounded somewhere in the real world, though it's often nowhere obvious, whilst Ni can easily have a person spiralling down in their mind with all kinds of crap that has no basis in fact or experience or the world generally. So whilst I can usually find some way to get people to relate to my odd perceptions and behaviours, I find it very hard to sympathise with much of the way my INFJ friend sees things.

Though I'm sure it'll be taken the wrong way, I have to say that I think the differing styles of eccentricity between Ne and Ni are viewed as either positive or negative depending on who's looking at them. Someone to whom 'the establishment' is important and valued would probably find Ne style oddness more offensive, whilst someone to whom spontaneity, cheerfulness, trust and optimism were important would find Ni style oddness extremely irritating and hard to live with (as I do at times, so I've never lived with Ni-dominant types!).

The ISTJ I've talked about often on here is definitely very eccentric, and although I'm constantly called it by just about everyone, I do think there are differences in the 'tone' with which people say/mean it. It's like I said earlier, there's the misanthropic, anti-social kind of Silas Marner eccentrism to which Sensors seem to be more prone, and then there's the 'out there' and loopy kind like Q. And several shades in between.

How each person judges or reacts to these different kinds of oddness depends hugely on their own values and opinions.

And then of course, you have to draw a line between genuine eccentrism - natural and instinctive behaviour that comes from who you really are inside, though you might not realise how others see it, and you can't really do anything but that. Or the kind of false eccentrism which is put on to get attention or because someone wants to be seen as 'individual' or outrageous.

My experience is that those who wear their eccentricity on their sleeve tend to usually be the fakers. REAL eccentrics are the way they are through a lifetime of strange experiences and suchlike, and they've known since childhood the pain and other sides that come with the attention or whatever, of being known as 'odd' or 'different', and so have generally learned to cap it somewhat, and to appear normal-ish. And they don't say things like "I'm just mad, me!" etc., because deep down they do not believe themselves to be crazy or odd. They usually find it just as odd as others find them, that others find them odd!!!

EDIT - and people who say they're eccentric, but then also say things like "well what's normal anyway? is there any such thing as normal?" are 99&#37; of the time not eccentric. Anyone who is, and has always been, knows that there is such a thing as normal, and that they're not it - normal is that elusive something that abnormal people usually spend the first part of their lives struggling to be without success, on account of which they've suffered and tried. Only people who are normal would claim that there's no such thing as normality.

Firstly, I didn't realise it was a competition, and secondly I'd never boast of being eccentric - it's a trait generally seen as negative by most people, in my experience, and it's rarely meant as a compliment.

I'm sorry. I thought it was obvious that I was kidding. I'll make it clearer next time.

Why do people want to be seen as eccentric? Or at least want their type to be seen as eccentric.

It seems a curse.

Certainly, neurosis can lead to strange behavior in any type.

If we leave aside, clinical illness, and assume a healthy but eccentric person. Yes?

Also, everybody has unique characteristics. Uniqueness is too universal (heh), and too positively painted to be used as a guideline for eccentric.

I use the following definition:

bizarre: conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual;

I think overall Extroverts are more eccentric than Is (since the Introverts are reserved, you would need to trade conspicuously for grossly, and then we have to watch out for illness).

I would say ENTPs have been the most eccentric people I've met. I haven't known too many ESTPs, but the ones I have met are also eccentric.

I think an IN_P can easily be seen as average Joe/Jane along with their IS_P cousins.

_NTJ are typical corporate types just as often as _STJs are. Nothing conspicuously unconventional there (however much "out-of-the-box" thinking they do).

_NFJ are typically family-first types just like _SFJs. I am using family very loosely here. Not too eccentric.

E_FPs are all generally fun-loving, and have enough F to keep them from being blatantly unconventional.

So I say E_TPs.

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Why do people want to be seen as eccentric? Or at least want their type to be seen as eccentric.

It seems a curse.

Yeah that's what I meant.

But are we also marking a distinction here between people who seem eccentric to others, and those who seem normal but are, in fact, very odd when you get to know them? Because those who seem odd on the outside can often be pretty much like everyone else when you get to know them...